Winemaking on the Mornington Peninsula dates back to the late nineteenth century, however today’s cellar doors are populated by members of the modern chapter in this region’s history. The early 1970s saw a revival in interest around viticulture and winemaking due in part to the potential offered by the maritime climate for producing quality wines. […]

Vines in Mendoza. Credit: Lira Wine Experience. Later in the year I will be joining Lira Wine Experience for a 14-day trip throughout Argentina, starting October 20 and finishing November 2. Beginning and ending in Buenos Aires we will visit three distinct regions in Argentina – the vineyards in skies of Salta, the valleys of […]

Lunch at Black Estate, Waipara, North Canterbury. For this episode of Wine For Normal People, Elizabeth and I talk about my recent trip to North Canterbury. A short drive north of Christchurch, North Canterbury has something for everyone – fabulous wine, delicious local food including truffles, olives and honey, craft beer, bike trails, hiking trails, […]

Image: Viñedo de los Vientos vineyard. Credit: Untapped Fine Wines. Come and join me as I host another wine education event at Vamos Bar and Restaurant in Melbourne’s CBD. We are going to taste wines from Brazil and Uruguay! Wines from these two countries are not so well known but I have put together a selection […]

Image: Shotover River, Central Otago If you’re in Melbourne, Australia and are interested in wine from my fabulous home country of New Zealand then join me Friday 16 February 6.30pm – 8.30pm. We will be taking a look at the other grape varieties used to produce some outstanding wine from Aotearoa, the Land of the […]

The view from the Main Ridge Estate cellar door verandah. Drive down the dusty, winding William Road of Red Hill and you will be faced with a dilemma – turn left for Red Hill Cheese or right for one of Mornington Peninsula’s icons, Main Ridge Estate. It’s a tough one, particularly in our household as […]

Rippon Vineyard in Autumn. Image credit: Thirst Press. In this episode of Wine for Normal People I catch up with Elizabeth to chat about Central Otago – an area my family has spent many years in. Although Central Otago accounted for only 2% of total production in New Zealand for 2016, the wine from this region […]